How we see the world

Today’s blog features three new books in the Doucette Library.

First up is This Beautiful Day by Richard Jackson. This story in rhyme clearly demonstrates who one’s mindset impacts how we react to external forces. In this case, it’s a very dark, gloomy, stormy day. This does not prevent a group of children from enjoying themselves bopping along to some tunes on the radio, having a grand time splashing through some rain puddles until the rain starts to abate. They join up with some friends and continue the fun as the sky continues to clear and the sun breaks through. The rhyme is toe-tapping and the illustrations (by Suzy Lee – I LOVE her work) conveys the free spiritedness of the kids as they have fun with zippy, drippy watercolour drawings. Great book for accentuating living in the moment and enjoying circumstances as they unfold.

Today I Feel…: an alphabet of feelings by Madalena Moniz continues with looking at an A to Z range of emotions experienced by children (and all ages really). Here are a few examples:

 A is for Adored is illustrated with a full wall of pictures of the same child at varying ages;C is for Curious is playfully conveyed with a child looking into a large, black hole, one of many on the page;I is for Invisible where the same child wears a sweater that matches and blends into the wallpaper on the wall behind him; and so on. 

It’s a quiet book that opens up reflective thinking about emotions. This could also be used for work about the alphabet and modeling this kind of thinking. Maybe ask the question: What other emotion might represent the letter A?

My last recommendation, Super Jumbo

by Fred Koehler, is a fun look at a child elephant who sees himself as a superhero protecting and aiding those in need. This, unfortunately, isn’t always helpful for those being ‘saved’. The illustrations are perfect for this story clearly conveying the intensity our superhero has for saving others as well as the consternation and frustration of the ‘victims’. His best good deed is helping a friend repair a broken wagon and continuing the day-saving adventures as a daring duo.

I’m recommending all these books for the primary grades. Enjoy!